


pick me, pick me boy

by sabotenworld



Series: broduce high school au [2]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 18:46:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14171229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabotenworld/pseuds/sabotenworld
Summary: After an act of kindness, delinquent Woojin somehow catches the attention of that kid who danced to Pick Me when they were freshmen.





	pick me, pick me boy

**Author's Note:**

> A sort of prequel/side story to that panwink high school au I wrote before... Me trying to keep Jinseob alive one crapfic at a time

It’s already almost 6pm and Woojin is still at school property. Like, who even stayed at school this late aside from teachers and nerds who had extra work to do? Other delinquents who picked fights Woojin couldn’t back off from, apparently. Ong Seongwoo and Kim Jaehwan had already gotten tired and gone home, which Woojin took as Another Victory for the Pink Sausages, the other half of which wasn’t at school today. Jihoon always used his grand childhood acting experience to fake sick and play video games all day.

Woojin hears a rumble of thunder and he winces when a raindrop falls on his face exactly where a fresh cut was, just at the side of his mouth. He quickly makes his way toward the school building where he knew the Lost and Found box was. The Lost and Found box was perfect for emergencies like this where you needed things that people lose easily, such as umbrellas.

Pick Me Boy is at the Lost and Found box holding a navy blue umbrella that would probably combust any moment now given the intensity that the guy was staring at it. Woojin doesn’t know his name, but he was pretty much known by everyone as that bright kid who danced to Pick Me played on portable speakers during their first assembly as freshmen.

“Hey,” Woojin says after he had peered into the box and found no other umbrella. Pick Me Boy almost drops the umbrella, startled out of his inner turmoil. “Is that your umbrella?”

The tips of Pick Me Boy’s ears turn noticeably red. “It’s not.” He looks back at Woojin with a frown. “Is it yours?”

“Nah.” Woojin gets into fights a lot, but he’s not a liar. He doesn’t even bring a bag to school most of the time. No umbrella-bringing shenanigans for Park Woojin. “Can I take it if you aren’t going to use it, then?”

Pick Me Boy’s grip on the umbrella tightens, turning his knuckles white. He kind of looks like a small animal. Maybe a rabbit. Yeah, he sure looks like a rabbit. Woojin concludes that Pick Me Boy looks like a rabbit. Said boy looks past Woojin, nibbling his lower lip in thought, and Woojin follows his gaze to see a pile of paper on a bench that looks like three classes’ worth of homework. Maybe he’s some kind of class officer?

“We can share?” Woojin suggests. He takes the umbrella out of Pick Me Boy’s death grip and opens it up, scooping three fourths of the pile of paper in his arms before Pick Me Boy can look even more troubled. “Where do you need to take these?”

“Just the next building. Thanks.” Pick Me Boy smiles at him, but his eyes are a little suspicious. Woojin was used to everyone looking at him like this. It’s probably not hard to conclude bad things about him and Jihoon because of all the fist fights they end up getting into (mostly because of Jihoon). Woojin doesn’t take it too personally.

The two boys huddle under the umbrella on the way to the next building, while Pick Me Boy confirms that he is, indeed, a class officer, vice president of their class even. Woojin nods and sympathizes with him about all the work he has to do. If Woojin was a class officer, he wouldn’t have any time to hang out at the arcade or cut classes or even fight other delinquents with Jihoon. But of course he couldn’t tell a class officer that. “That must be a lot of trouble,” is all Woojin voices out.

Woojin waits for Pick Me Boy at the entrance of the building when the other goes to the teachers’ offices, because he’s a decent person and he won’t go home with the umbrella he promised to share with another person who was equally umbrella-less, but Pick Me Boy looks entirely surprised about this, his jaw hanging down low at the sight of Woojin as if he wasn’t supposed to be there.

“You waited for me?” the boy asks in disbelief.

“I’ll walk you home,” Woojin explains. “Since we’re sharing this umbrella.”

Pick Me Boy looks somewhat touched by the gesture. “Thank you. Um…”

“Park Woojin.”

Pick Me Boy nods, smiling. “Thank you, Woojin.”

The combination of the evening sky and rain would make Woojin feel calm and comfortable if he was at home, but right now he was on the mission to deliver the Pick Me Boy most people seemed fond of to his home. This ended up in Woojin’s sneakers becoming squishy from all the puddles on the streets they had to walk through.

Pick Me Boy introduces himself as Ahn Hyeongseob and explains why he looked so worried at the Lost and Found section earlier. “Everyone would probably judge me if I took an umbrella, right?” he asks Woojin with a frown. “This is stealing.”

Woojin doesn’t get it. “No?” he asks, and Ahn Hyeongseob looks scandalized. “It’s raining, you didn’t have an umbrella, you needed to deliver everyone’s homework to different teachers. Of course you would have to borrow one. And since everyone probably went home already you just thought of a way.” Woojin shrugs. “Anyone would do the same.” He was really too wordy when he had to explain things sometimes.

Hyeongseob nods in understanding. “I guess that’s one way of looking at it.” He seems a little happier with that, and he chatters about the idol groups that he likes. Woojin nods quietly in agreement at his opinions. Yes, Twice and Blackpink were the best in the entire world.

The two of them reach a row of average-looking but still homey apartments and Hyeongseob stops at one of the middle ones to announce that he was home. “Thank you, Park Woojin,” Hyeongseob says with a toothy smile. Woojin can see his ears turning red again when he asks “Hey, since it’s raining pretty hard do you want to stay inside for a while? Dinner’s probably almost prepared.”

Woojin shuffles in his shoes, feeling rainwater soaking through his toes. No way he would be entering someone’s house without taking off his shoes. No way he would remove his shoes and reveal the disgusting wet socks either. He declines Hyeongseob’s offer by shaking his head a little too furiously to be polite.

“Oh,” Hyeongseob says, dejected. His face lights up after a heartbeat. “Wait here!” He scrambles into the apartment and Woojin can hear the faint running up and down of some stairs. He hopes the boy wouldn’t slip on his wet clothing and have to be brought to the hospital, and he’s relieved to see Hyeongseob make it in one piece back to the gate.

“Here!”

A little box is shoved under Woojin’s nose. He pulls his head back and focuses his eyes on the box, and the picture printed on the box indicates that it contains plasters for children.

“You got into a fight, didn’t you?” Hyeongseob scolds him. He gives Woojin a small smile. “Thank you for walking me home.”

Woojin grins at him thankfully, turning to walk away with a wave of his hand. Then, after some thought, he quickly turns back around before Hyeongseob could close the front door. “Ahn Hyeongseob!” he calls through the worsening rain.

“Yeah?” Hyeongseob yells back.

“If anyone asks, Park Woojin stole the umbrella! Not you.”

If Hyeongseob was right about people judging him for something as petty as stealing the stupid umbrella from the Lost and Found box, then he could probably lose everyone’s trust as a class officer. Woojin was used to being suspected when anything went wrong. He didn’t mind being the scapegoat for someone who was so worried about meeting everyone’s expectations.

Hyeongseob shakes his head. “I can’t do that!”

“Why?”

“I stole it with you!” Hyeongseob laughs happily like stealing things was something to be pleased about, before making his way back into the apartment. “Good night!”

“Good night,” Woojin says to the closed door. Pick Me Boy was a little strange. Worried about trivial things like people judging him for borrowing umbrellas from the lost and found box but also honest and kind enough to not put the blame on Woojin. Woojin walks home a little curious and his toes pruney from the rain.

-

Woojin comes to school late the next day with a mask on, sniffling and somewhat feverish. Except Woojin never really becomes full-on sick, aside from minor things like colds and eye infections, and his family knows this so he’s rarely permitted a day off.

“Park Woojin!”

Ahn Hyeongseob is waving at him, standing near his classroom door as students already trudge their way inside, wearing a similar face mask.

“Oh, hey,” Woojin can only greet back. He thinks Hyeongseob’s classroom is the one two rooms away from his. Maybe Hyeongseob had class officer duties to do with his section so he was here today?

“Good morning,” Hyeongseob greets. His voice is muffled and hoarse. He opens his bag to produce a bottle of a lemon juice drink that Woojin’s been seeing on tv advertised as some healthy vitamin c drink. He hands it to Woojin, who takes it with both hands in surprise. “You probably got a cold too so I got you this.”

Woojin stares at the juice in his hands. “Um. Thanks.”

“You're welcome.” Hyeongseob’s probably smiling from what Woojin can see of his face. “See you around!”

“Yeah…” Woojin trails off dumbly as the other boy skips towards his classroom with more energy than anyone Woojin has seen in the morning.

Jihoon eyes him strangely, just arriving now, seconds after the first bell rang. “Since when do you hang out with Pick Me Boy?” he asks as he hustled Woojin into the classroom roughly.

“I don’t?”

“I play hooky for exactly one day and you’ve already replaced me,” Jihoon says with a pout. Woojin pokes him in the ribs as hard as he can.

-

Ahn Hyeongseob makes eye contact with Woojin whenever he sees him now. When Hyeongseob is talking to his friends, he’ll see Woojin and call out, waving exaggeratedly. Woojin sees Hyeongseob hanging out near his classroom on days when Woojin is not late, just to greet him good morning and ask him how he is. There are also little gifts like the lemon juice and little pastries that Hyeongseob hands him sometimes. Hyeongseob acknowledges Jihoon as well, greeting him as if they were friends, which Jihoon finds __very__ weird.

“What did you do to make him like you this much?” Jihoon asks thoughtfully as he munched on cheese potato chips Woojin got from Hyeongseob. Hyeongseob gave Woojin two, specifically to share with Jihoon for some reason. Now Jihoon and Woojin are sitting at the rooftop after they’ve decided they didn’t feel like attending algebra today, eating the snack.

“I don’t know?” Woojin has talked to Hyeongseob exactly once in his life before the boy started acting friendly towards him. “I told you I just shared an umbrella with him and walked him home, didn’t I?”

Jihoon’s eyes widen at that. “No you didn’t! What kind of friend are you!” he accused. “He probably fell in love with you after you did such a cheesy-ass thing.”

“It wasn’t cheesy? We were just sharing an umbrella because we both didn’t have any and there was only one in the Lost and Found Box? I was just a decent human being?”

-

What Woojin does that he’s pretty sure is a nice thing enough to fall in love with is rescue Hyeongseob from a bully. A female bully to be exact. Woojin was just walking toward the back of the old creepy building, wanting to just sit around and maybe have a smoke or just chew some gum, when he comes across Hyeongseob talking to a female student in an alleyway between the two main school buildings. He thinks it might be a confession and secretly cheers Hyeongseob on inside, until the girl is pouring soda from a can on to Hyeongseob’s head.

"Hey, what the fuck?” Woojin yells from where he is. The female student glares at him but walks off briskly before Woojin could get to the two of them. “Are you okay?” he asks Hyeongseob, who still looks like he’s in a daze from the altercation.

“Woojin,” Hyeongseob says his name softly, smiling. “Thanks a lot.”

Woojin helps him clean up the disgusting sugar off of his hair and face by using a wet handkerchief. He also lends Hyeongseob his PE uniform, which looks strange when paired with the slacks and leather shoes but he can’t really judge Hyeongseob on that when he’s looking so dejected.

“You wanna know what happened?” Hyeongseob asks when they’re sitting at the rooftop side by side. It’s school hours but Woojin can’t really leave him alone. It’s not like he was planning on going to his classes today either.

“You don’t really have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Woojin assures him. He __was__ curious, but he wasn’t about to make Hyeongseob uncomfortable.

“I’ll tell you,” Hyeongseob decides after a while. “I like guys, and apparently I can’t be friends with girls’ crushes if I like guys. She told me to not hang out with one of my friends anymore because it’s disgusting. Isn’t that weird? Or it’s normal and I’m the weird one and I really can’t be friends with anyone anymore just because I’m gay?” Hyeongseob sighs heavily, releasing his hands from how they were balled up into fists. He gives Woojin a small smile. “Sorry for ranting, Woojin. This must be really uncomfortable.”

Hyeongseob has been nothing but really sweet to Woojin, and he can’t understand how someone would try to hurt him over that one thing. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Hyeongseob. You’re kind and friendly and hardworking. That chick was just a homophobic asshole,” Woojin tries to comfort him.

“How do you know I’m kind?” Hyeongseob asks him.

“Well, for starters you were so adamant about not stealing that umbrella in the Lost and Found box, and you didn’t want me to take the blame for the angry mob that would torch you alive for borrowing that umbrella,” Woojin deadpans, and Hyeongseob cracks a smile at that. “And you’re friendly to me and Jihoon.”

“Why would I not be friendly to you and Jihoon?” Hyeongseob wants to know.

“Well, the two of us don’t exactly have the best reputations,” Woojin laughs, showing the fresh scrapes on his knuckles from a fist fight he got into yesterday. He stops when Hyeongseob takes his hand and examines the wounds. His hands are warm and soft and Woojin feels a blush creep to his face. Hyeongseob seems to notice him stiffen in his hold.

“Is this disgusting?” Hyeongseob asks in a small voice. “Are you grossed out that I’m touching you?”

“No!” Woojin says quickly. He clears his throat. “It’s just that you’re really cute. And I understand why girls would hate you. Because you’re so much cuter and kinder than them and every guy should reconsider dating girls when there are cuter options like you.”

Hyeongseob laughs at that, letting go of Woojin’s hand, and Woojin thinks happy is a better look on him. “Are you hitting on me? Do you like guys too?”

Woojin’s never really stopped to think about his sexuality, but so far he’s found both guys and girls attractive. Hell, he finds Hyeongseob attractive, with his dark eyes and cute button nose. “I guess I don’t really think about a person’s gender when they’re attractive,” he decides.

“Oh.” Hyeongseob smiles. “Thank goodness you weren’t one of those homophobes. To be honest I’ve been trying to get close to you because you’re really cool and good-looking, but I didn’t know if you’d be interested in me so I wanted to be friends at least,” he admits sheepishly.

Woojin swallows the lump in his throat. “Then, let’s be friends. And we’ll see if you'll be interested once you get to know me.”

Needless to say, several school lunch dates and weekends out have Hyeongseob absolutely smitten.

-

Woojin has been leaving Jihoon alone a lot lately. He knows Jihoon absolutely __hates__ being the third wheel and would rather be alone than listen to Hyeongseob proclaim his love every five seconds to Woojin, but Woojin still feels guilty that the two of them haven’t been spending as much time together since Woojin got a boyfriend.

“ _ _I’ll go study at the library,”__ is what Jihoon usually says, but Woojin doesn’t take him all that seriously until he has to accompany Hyeongseob to the library to get some reference materials and really sees Jihoon in the library.

Except that Jihoon isn’t alone.

Lai Guanlin is there beside him, listening to Jihoon as they pored over workbooks of what looks like Korean language. There’s a fond smile on Jihoon’s lips and a sparkle in his eyes that Woojin hasn’t seen before, and Woojin quietly snaps a photo to tease Jihoon with later.

“Hey, look at this,” Woojin says as he shows Hyeongseob the picture once they’re outside of the library. “There’s some kind of gay chemistry going on. I bet they’ll date soon.”

“They’re cute,” is what Hyeongseob reacts with. “Oh, Jihoon was gay?”

Woojin shrugs. “Well, yeah. Why do you think he was always trying to fight Kang Daniel? That was a very obvious crush.”

“I have never once tried to fight my crushes,” Hyeongseob mumbles.

“Because you are literally the sweetest cinnamon roll and you’re __my__ cinnamon roll,” Woojin coos at him, and Hyeongseob giggles as he puts his arms around Woojin’s waist.

Woojin thinks maybe they __are__ a bit disgusting together.


End file.
